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Once a proponent of restrictions on immigration, the AFL-CIO has called for bold Presidential action on immigration. "As Republicans continue to abdicate their responsibility to the country by preventing a vote on comprehensive immigration reform (HR 15), families and communities across the country remain under siege. In response to this ongoing tragedy, the Department of Homeland Security can and should take immediate steps to address the urgent needs of workers and immigrant communities." Here are the recommendations:

1. DHS should grant affirmative relief with work authorization to individuals who are low priorities for removal or eligible for prosecutorial discretion under existing DHS policies.

2. DHS should reassert the primary role of the federal government in determining and implementing enforcement priorities by ending programs that effectively delegate those responsibilities to state and local law enforcement.

3. DHS should reform the enforcement and removal system to stop criminalizing immigrant communities and ensure that individuals who are low priorities for removal or eligible for prosecutorial discretion are not removed.

4. DHS should revise its internal operating instructions regarding enforcement of immigration laws in the workplace to ensure that such enforcement actions do not interfere with workers’ rights.